Acceptance
by USMC-Sister
Summary: For some reason, Itachi lingers on his abandoned home of Konoha searching for something he had left behing. Along one of his visits he discovers something or rather someone that might be the answer he was looking for.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: lost and found**

The onyx eyes belonging to the infamous Itachi Uchiha gazed down upon a well lit-up Village, searching for something he seemed to have lost. It had been years since he left Konohagukure, but as he observed closely, nothing had changed other than the Slug Princess' face of Tsunade carved into the mountain side overlooking the home he had long abandoned.

Though the city was busy and full of life, it felt dead and broken to him, his dark eyes scanning for what he had lost and left behind. A wave of guilt and sickness overcame him and he forced himself to look away, onyx orbs converting to a crimson red. It had been a nice relinquish from the constant plaguing pain of the Sharingan- the signiture trait of the Uchiha clan-but the heavy sensation seeped back into his head.

A noise from behind pulled his attention away from the busy city, an eyebrow raised in curiousity as the sound continued. Relentlessly, he added. It was too late for anyone to be outside the village gates, subsequeuntly he spiked an interest and shifted from his position to head towards the sounds. At first he had figured his monthly routine was finally discovered, but immediately dismissed the assumstion when he evaluated the sounds to be stationary in one specific spot. A spot, he unvield, to be a training ground for two Shinobi going toe-to-toe with each other.

He was able to recognize them easily as two Leaf nin, specifically, ex-teammates of his younger brother. A silver-haired Jonin known as Kakashi Hatake who concealed half his face behind a mask squared up against a young konoichi with uniquely pink hair. He had studied the entire squad they formed and learned their information by heart; their strengths, weaknesses, mentors and even their bonds. The two before him could provide even more useful information, especially the lone female of the group, considering since he hadn't seen her in combat. He knew about her successful skirmish with one of Akatsuki's own, Sasori, however he wanted to witness for himself what she was capable of. The Uchiha had doubts as he focused on the duo.

"Faster Sakura!" Kakashi coached, arms up in defense as her attack was blocked.

"You're the one that needs to keep up old man!"The girl mocked as she relentlessly threw a barrage of punches and kicks, forcing the man backwards. The Uchiha could tell they were well evenly matched as they back and forth equally between offense and defense, however as he continued to analyze the konoichi he realized she was holding back. But for what? He couldn't figure out.

His crimson eyes followed Sakura's movements as the two continued their friendly bout, noticing the grace and speed she possessed, as if she were performing a dance. As he gauged the man she sparred with, he noticed that his left eye gleamed red with the Sharingan, leaving the bystander puzzled with yet another question. Why use a bloodline in a strictly taijutsu battle, even he could predict the next attack the konoichi planned.

However as he continued watching, he understood why the jonin did such as the konoichi's stance and battle tactic changed. Her movements became unpredictable, not wild, but carefully calculated in a manner that seemed crazed and uncontrolled. She acted as if she were going to swing with her left, which the jonin predicted, but at the last possible second feigned and hit with her right, successfully landing a blow. Kakashi winced and was pushed backwards a few feet. If it were anybody else, they wouldn't have noticed anything in particular, but oth of the men caught it. It was faint, but held with perfect percision was a chakra enhanced fist, enough to cause sufficient damage, but not enough to be noticed as a threat.

As he examined her further, her expression remained blank and unreadable, however her emerald eyes held a playful and sly look. Under the mans mask lay a smirk, clearly impressed by his student's improvement over the years. However, that didn't mean he was quite finished.

The jonin recovered from the blow and flipped backwards, his hands forming signs faster than her eyes could follow. A huge ball of fire appeared and raced towards her, eyes widening a fraction of an inch. She recovered smoothly, quickly forming signs of her own, two identical entities of herself summoning on each side of her. The Uchiha watched the girl as she carefully calculated the attack, her hand diving into her weapon pouch andpulling out a sharp kunai with a pink tag attached. One of the clones jumped in front of her as she threw the weapon into the inferno, the high temputure accelerating the burning of the paper. The ball imploded and exploded, knocking the silver haired man into a tree, nearly splintering the trunk. The clone Sakura had made protected her from the blast and immediately she was upon her mentor, kunai held to his throat. Her back pressed against her second clone whose weapon clashed against one belonging to a clone Kakashi had managed to makeAt the last second.

"I win" she said triumphantly, releasing her hold. Both clones disappeared in a cloud of smoke, her mentor ruffling her pink hair playfully.

The man in the shadows sat amused in the darkness, clearly impressed. The night had turned out better than he thought as he uncovered useful bits of information. The sole female of Team 7 who was thought to be the weakest link, had proved herself a worthy opponent of the Sharingan. Her persise chakra control and hawk like intelligence was a deadly combination alone, and he now understood why Sasori had succumbed to death by her delicate yet strong hands.

"the paper bomb was a nice twist." kakashi Added, pulling the Uchiha's attention back to the duo. He was hoping to pull more useful information from the konoichi.

"Always think quick on your feet sensei. I was well to learn that while sparring with you" she replied giving him a Coy look. He scratched the back of his head in guilt, remembering their previous sessions.

"Yes, well, it seems I have taught you a valuable lesson." he said pointedly, sitting down cross legged, beckoning her to do the same. She did so, directly across from him, clearly grateful for the time he had again and again sacrificed for her.

" would you reconsider your previous answer sensei?" the girl asked, almost in a whisper. Itatchi's attention perked up at the change in mood, wondering what their past conversation had been about.

"Sakura..as much as you have grown, I am still inclined to say no." her mentor replied, the girls shoulders droppinslowly slightly as she tried to control her posture.

"Sensei, I am not going to stop improving, no matter how hard it gets, I am never .falling .behind .again. I refuse to do such." she said, voice on fire. " the only reason why I want you permission is because you are important to me and I wouldn't be able to do it knowing you weren't behind me every step."

Kakashi had looked at her sadly, seeing the determination and desperation in her emerald eyes. She was pleading and crying out, yet some part of him still wanted to refuse her, to say "no", to preserve her innocence. The Uchiha sat in anticipation as the jonin stared at the girl whose fists were balling up and turning white.

"Don't be like him." he said sadly, causing the konoichi to tense up immediately. "don't seek the same thing as he did, don't ruin and corrupt yourself as he."

Itachi stared, trying to figure out whom made the dangerous woman he had witnessed earlier turn into a shaken and frail girl. Suddenly she was up in a flash, the anger pouring into a vicious cloud around her, eyes ablaze, the woman from before taking over control.

"I will never be like him. I do not seek the same as him, and if you cannot see that then you are not who I thought you were." she seethed. Both men knew she felt hurt and abandoned, tears threatened to spill, but she held them at bay as she continued. "There is no harm in wanting to be better, but in the way we chose to."

"How do you chose Sakura?"

"I only want to be accepted."

Kakasi stared up at her angry form, searching her hurt eyes, silence engulfing the grounds they stood on, even the Uchiha remained still.

"i never want to look at a fellow shinobi's back ever again. I want to be by their side as an equal and nothing more." she stated staring into the mismatched eyes of her mentor, which gleamed for a split second. He had realized his student had grown into a mature woman, one that understood and shaped the importance of everything he had taught her And protected it. If he could say which of his students had grown most, not just in strength but in maturity, it would have been her. Which was why he swallowed his fear an stood up, ruffling her pink hair once more, ever so softly.

"Sakura, I now see you are no longer my student.." he said in a gentle voice and she peeked up from her tossled hair, confused until he continued. " but as an equal, you have my permission."

Itachi watched as the konoichis eyes lit up with joy before hugging her mentor tightly, who returned the gesture. He was still left slightly confused and interested in what the permission was for, and whom the man was that had shaken the Leaf girl up. He had concluded that he had to figure out these two answers in order to exploit more, for he felt that they were two very dangerous factors. From what he had examined before, the girl was already dangerous enough,anything more and she would be a major threat.

The man left in a swirling wind, determined to keep the information he witnessed to himself, at least until he could figure out the missing pieces. Maybe, just maybe he had found what he had left behind when he abandoned Konoha; hope.

* * *

**Authors note: I know it was short and slightly confusing, but I had the idea when I was at work and I really have a plan for it c: btw, sorry for the spelling errors, I'm typing this on my iPad and it is being extremely difficult...**

**Anyway reviews are always welcome**

**Stay Classy Guys**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2:Initiation**

Sakura's eyelids fluttered in protest as beams of sunlight fell upon her face, efficiently waking her up. She sat up and stretched her back lazily, wanting nothing more than to crawl back under her thick blankets and succumb to the bliss of sleep. However as her mind began to wake, she bolted up with an excited manner. Today was the day.

Kakashi had given her the go ahead months ago, and through months of vigorous training and preparation, the time had come. Today she would prove how hard she had worked up into this point, all those days, minutes, seconds, she had sacrificed. Today she was going to prove herself as an equal.

The determined konoichi quickly garbed herself in her standardized shinobi gear, making sure that her weapon pouch was full and Sped out her apartment. The sun felt warm against her skin as she squinted against the brilliant light, smiling to herself. Today was her day.

After a few minutes of excitidly running she stooped in front of her destination, emerald eyes dropping slightly as she remembered a buried memory. It had been years ago but The reminiscence left a burning sensation in her chest, causing her to clutch the cloth that covered her heart. No longer would she ever be useless or in need of any time of protection, she was ready to change her fate. However just as she was about to open the double doors, a familar loud, obnoxious voice halted her action.

"OI! Sakura-chan!" The kunoichi turned around and came nose to nose with her blonde-haired teammate, a smile spread across her delicate face as she trapped him into a hug.

"Naruto, I knew you'd come." She sighed softly, somewhat in realief. Her friend returned the gentle gesture and gave her a small squeeze, the two staying like that for what seemed like ages. In order to prepare for today, Sakura had to cut everyone and everything from the village and primarily focus on her training, meaning it had been months since she last saw any of her teammates or her home. Although it broke her heart, she knew what had to be done and silently promised to Naruto that she would make up for time lost by becoming his equal. Which reminded her..

"Naruto, I have to go.." The pinkett said sadly, pulling away and holding her teammate by his broad shoulders. "It will only take an hour, then we can go to IchiRamen's and celebrate!" A smile burst across his face in response and he gave her a quick hug, ushering her to the set of double doors.

"I'll be cheering you on, Good luck!"

With that, the blonde companion leapt into the air and dissapeared behind the gigantic wall belonging to the testing area that once harbored the Chunin Exams. Facing the doors, she realized they made her seem small and childish, delicate hands lacing around the handle and heaving them foward. Her tiny form was engulfed in darkness as she made her way through the tunnel, heading towards the small circle of light at the end.

Her heart viciously beated against her rib cage, a set of nerves consumed her as each breath became labored and heavy. The konoichi scolded herself for behaving in such a cowardly manner, but she couldn't help but feel clueless. During her training process she had fought each battle tactic of every single Jonin, from Kurenai's specialized genjutsu to Yamamoto's infamous wood style. However when it came to the test, the pick was random so she would have to think of a strategy of the opponents weakness within minutes, if not seconds after the revealing. Oh how the nerves shook her small hands. Hands capable of killing, yet laced with the ability to Save lives, covered in black material in order to preserve such gifts.

Her movements ceased as she neared the end, the line signifying the field from the safety of the tunnel, milimeters away from her toes. Slowly closing her eyes,she took a shaky breath in, feeling the strength of her heart pound, blood boiling in her veins with each beat.

' _i can do this. There is nothing stopping me, I . Can . Do this. '_ the konoichi coached herself sterny, successfully calming the nerves that shook her. Emerald eyes shot open, possessed with a fiery spirit, one capable to defeat the demons that plagued her heart. Her body became emersed with a brilliant light as she leapt from the darkness of the tunnel, leaving behind every ounce of fear that once controlled her and into a future she would pave for herself.

The grounds themselves hadn't changed a bit as she stood in the midst of the empty field, smiling to herself as she remembered Naruto's victory over Neji years ago. The earth trembling beneath her shook her from her thoughts as she focused on the task at hand. The time had come.

'o_k quick, analyze Sakura, concentrate.' _the konoichi thought, eyes peeled for an enemy which was nowhere to be seen. Suddenly an object as she examined to be wood shot from the Earth, forcing her to dodge left to safety, her emerald eyes narrowing dangerously in thought.

another pipe of wood potruded the ground from her left, however she caught the trap by avoiding dodging right and instead flipping backwards. The two towers collided with each other, splintering on impact, making the pinkette relieved that her body wasn't caught in between. As she landed her eyes continued to scan her surroundings, once again concluding that the enemy was still concealed.

'_from the looks of it, this is Yamamoto's technique, but I can't help but feel likesomething is off. ' _the thought nagged at the edge of her brain as she dodged yet another tower. this time however, the wood twisted and caught her foot, slamming her into the hard ground causing a small crater to form around her body.

_''something is definitely wrong, that's not his style. I just cant figure this out..'_

Her thoughts were cut off as a tower raced towards her fallen state, forcing her to quickly stand and split the wood with a chakra enfused fist. Pieces rained down upon her, fists clenched making the leather squeeze in protest. The opponent wasn't in front, nor behind so she could only assume he, or she, was below.

With a shout loud and dangerous, she aimed an attack to the ground which imploded and rippled beneath her. The field, as she surveyed, had erupted into uneven grounds, craters scattered the once level terrain. A shadow caught her attention and she could only smile in a small form of triumpt.

'_Bingo.' _

Before her target could move, she sped through the rubble with grace, using the cratered walls as momentum to push herself forward. Within seconds her hand had gripped the throat of her former silver-haired sensei who grinned sheepishly behind his mask.

" oi, looks like you caught me, ne." He admitted in a strained voice, his students hand had a grip on his trachea that could rival the strength of the Slug Princess herself. However, that was the purpose.

"back for a re-match Kakashi-sensei?" she teased. He dodge a punch that was aimed for his masculin face by near centimeters, staring at the pink haired girl. Her lips turned into a dangerously sly smile, no longer was she afraid, and he knew it. He knocked her hold on his throat by pressing inwardly on her elbow, successfully giving out and releasing his damaged windpipe.

The two shinobis jumped up into the uneven territory, the wind capturing loose clothing and strands of hair. Sakura waited, gauged her teacher for any movement so she could strategize a tatic to defeat him easily. When it was made clear that she wouldn't be the one to move he charged forward, revealing the gleaming, red orb of the Sharingan.

Her eyes remained level to his feet, staying clear of the dangerous weapon she had been caught by so many times before. Her movements, dodging, attacking, were fluid and held with confidence against her teacher. She had fought him many times before and there was no doubt she could exploit his weaknesses, a smile twitching the corner of her mouth at the thought. She wouldn't hold back, she wasn't afraid.

Suddenly she was on the offensive end of the skirmish, ducking beneath a deadly blow, she sent a strait shot to his chest, lacing the jab with chakra. The attack sent him backwards, but she was relentless, Assaulting him with lethal strikes forcing him to cross his arms over his chest. Even with the Sharingan he couldn't predict her tactic, the persicion of calculations behind each charge was under strict confidence, one only she knew. He had to do something and fast.

As the konoichi went to send a fully charged attack aimed directly for the center of his chest, he pushed her arm away with deadly timing and forced her face upwards. Wide emerald eyes stared directly into His, the tamoe spinning rapidly and trapping the startled konoichi in a different realm. One she had absolutely no control over.

A dozen Kakashi's stood in a circle around her in an painfully familar training ground, that held three wooden poles. Suddenly each clone transformed into different people, skin melting and forming into those belonging to familiar friends. Naruto, Hinata, Shikamaru, Ino, Lee...on and on it went, her heart twisting. However when the last of the clones morphed into shape she stood completely still. Raven hair, onyx eyes, sly smile. Her teacher landed next to her, tauntingly.

"That was cheap Kakashi." she shot, going to lunge, however immediately held back by the Lee clone who was fast enough to reach her.

"You do whatever is necessary on the field." he simply said, a sword inches away from her throat. Her eyes didn't meet the wielder, she already knew who it belonged to, heart pounding immposibly fast. She should have felt scared or nervous, but She stared at her teacher, unafraid.

"Is that another one of your wise lessons?" the pinkett asked, almost playfully. His eyes narrowed and she was rewarded with a searing pain engulfing her arm. As she looked over, a deep gash contorted her once beautiful porcelain skin. She grunted but kept her eyes on him, reminding herself that this world wasn't real. That cut wasn't real. That sword wasn't real. That..Sasuke wasn't real..

Kakashi dissapeared in a cloud of smoke, leaving the lone pinkett to fight against her friends she deeply cared for. She jabbed her elbow behind her and into Lee's stomach causing him to release his hold. Sasuke stared directly at her, as if almost seeing right through her, but instead of fear she felt anger. A yell ripped at her throat and she grabbed his wrist, rendering his weapon useless as a crack came from his radius and ulna. She swung him like a ragdoll and threw him into Lee with enough force to knock two other clones into a distant tree. Hinata charged forward with her Byakugon activated, their battle strictly taijutsu as they exchanged blows, but the rage Sakura harbored knocked the girl away like a pesky fly.

As she was faced with Naruto and Sasuke her body froze, not because she was afraid, no, her frame was glued to the Earth. Her eyes traveled to her feet, noticing the shadow that held her in place. When she looked back up she noticed her two teammates stared at her, an evil grin spread across their faces as they charged forward. She was useless. She was trapped. Her eyes slammed shut as she felt the first hit, the second came immediately after. She began counting to distract herself from the pain; four, five...nine, ten, eleven...twenty. She couldn't take any more. Her will was finally breaking, but she bit down on her lip from screaming. She could feel the blood clotting on her clothes, the bruises forming on her bones, but it didn't bruise her spirit.

'_make this easy on me Sakura. Just quit.' _Kakashi thought, painfully from his position, watching as the two members relentlessly beat her delicate form. He knew the girl couldn't take much more but he couldn't help to applaud her for holding out.

A voice broke through the barrier, jolting the konoichi from her trance, making both shinobi look up in question.

'_Naruto?.._'

"Sakura, you can do it! Break through, don't give up." she could hear his loud and obnoxious voice coach. A smile graced her bruised face and she did the last thing she expected to do. She cried. He had a,ways been there for her and she'd be damned to let him down, to break her promise. Her fears and pain were released as she slowly tore herself away from Shikamaru's shadow technique, a yell escaping her throat.

She found herself free and refreshed despite the blood and bruises, nothing could stop her form as she tore through the clones one by one. Lee's taijutsu was no match for hers as she landed a final low to his abdomen, turning around to defend an attack from Ino and demobilizing her immediately with a flat palm to her neck. A loud chirping sound came from behind and she sidestepped with persicion, the lightning grazing her hair and landing into Naruto. The sight unnerved her but she had to tell herself it wasn't real. Harder than it seemed as the blondes blood splattered onto her face.

The pinketts head shook the heart wrenching sight and focused her attention on the silver haired jonin before her. Their eyes locked in a battle of dominance, determined locked with fear. She lunged forward with a series of attacks, laced with spirit rather than chakra. Kakashi was forced to block, but he was defenseless against her strength and with the extended use of his Sharingan, he was weakening by the second. The last thing he saw before closing his eyes, was a black, gloved hand aimed for his face.

Suddenly a brilliant white light engulfed them, emerald eyes had to squeeze in protest nd fluttered open slowly to adjust. They were back in the cratered arena, her body poised against that of her teacher who was unconscious, the air around them deadly silent. Her strained pants abnormally loud and out of place.

"Haruno, Sakura." boomed a loud voice that pierced through the silence like a knife, making her flinch involuntarily. She recognized it as Tsunade-shishou, her mentor and Hokage which meant she would learn her fate here and now.

"Welcome to ANBU."

Sakura could hear the smile behind her teachers voice and her body finally sank in relief and exhaustion. She did it, she had finally proved herself. She let out a strained and coarse laugh falling first on her knees and onto her back staring into the blue depth ness of the sky. Which was immediately replaced by Naruto's face, holding a brilliant smile, a laugh like jingling bells ringing in her ears.

They laughed for what seemed like hours, sharing the happiness and joy that coursed through their bodies. It was contagious. ANBU members stood around them and clapped, and although their faces were covered, the konoichi could feel their smiles, their exuberance. Their welcoming smiles.

She was ANBU. She was an equal

* * *

**Author's note: sorry for the slow update, I had trouble writing this chapter. I hope I accomplished some character development for Sakura and hope you guys think so..writing on this iPad is extremely difficult lol**

**Anyway I'm off to the comic book store!**

**Stay classy guys**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Watchful eye**

The sky of Konohagukure was painted in an array of reds and oranges that sunk into a deep violet, signifying that night had begun to take over, the moon illuminating brighter by the minute. Finally as if distinguishing a lit candle wick, the sun was extinguished leaving the night to swallow the village whole. Lanterns hung from building to building shining light upon the streets below that still buzzed with excitement and life.

"Man Sakura-chan, I still can't believe you out-rank me now." Naruto whined for what seemed like the umpteenth time, causing the pinkett to roll her eyes. They sat on high stools that almost leveled with the bar in front of them, holding bowls of steaming hot ramen.

"Naruto, you're still technically a Genin, I've out-ranked you for at least 3 years now."She said matter-of-fact, a hint of amusement laced in her voice as she stiffled a giggle. Her blonde teammate glared and slurrped at his ramen in a form of annoyance. Sometimes he really hated when she was right.

"Hope we're not too late." Interrupted a voice behind them, making both shinobi turn around in curiosity. The emerald eyes of Sakura lit up when she recognized it to be the other three members of team 7 peaking from under the Ramen Stand's curtains. Kakashi, she noticed was wrapped with bandages and she gave him a disapproving look, which was returned with a sheepish shrug.

"Couldn't miss the celebration Sakura." He said simply and sat down beside her. Sai and Yamamoto sat on the other side of Naruto, giving a friendly smile, even Sai, which she could tell was genuine. She felt welcome and humble, enjoying the energetic air that surrounded them.

"Yes, congratulations Ugly." Sai commented. The pinkett normally would have pulverized him to a bloody pulp, but her and the rest of the squad had already grown accustomed to the verbal insults he made so she shrugged it off.

"Thanks Sai, and I would LOVE to go on a date with you" She winked at him, giggling loudly when he choked on his ramen in surprise. Yamamoto had to pat on his back roughly to help him breath normally again, giving her a sly grin.

"Do you know your first mission?"The blonde asked suddenly and was rewarded with a hard smack to the back of his head. "Hey, what was that for?" He cried, nursing the throbbing bump that formed instantly.

"You know I can't tell anybody about any ANBU missions. The only people who are to know are the Squad and the Hokage, any more and we risk infiltration" She explained as if stating the sky were blue.

"But I'm you're best friend!"He complained, Sakura rolling her eyes and releasing a heavy sigh.

"Naruto, the less people know the better, it's for your safety." She said softly.

"She's right. However it's not just for your sake, but for hers and the squad as well." Kakashi pipped in, resting a hand on the pinkett's shoulder. The blonde's shoulders hunched in defeat as he pushed his ramen aside, appetite no longer apparent.

"Can we at least know what your mask is?" He pouted giving her a sidelong glance with big cerulean eyes. Suddenly four pair of eyes were on her, causing delicate porcelain to stain a pink that could rival her hair.

"Come on it can't be that bad Ugly." Sai commented, earning a stiff glare. She quickly muttered a reply but Kakashi nudged her side signifying that she needed to speak louder.

"it's a Hawk, ok?" She said crossing her arms in defiance, angry and embarrassed at her boys persistance, cheeks now a flush rosy tint.

"How fitting." Kakashi said, giving her a coy smile, reddening her face further. Little did she know, he was the one insisted that she would done the mask given to her. It signified not only her sharp observation ability but the person she had recently shaped herself into; a strong and independent woman who was once bound by her own fears. She was free, just like a bird.

* * *

The squad chatted excitedly with friendly banter satisfied, slurping loudly at their bowls of ramen for a couple of hours until the village around them began shutting down. Lanterns one by one snuffed out, leaving the stand the only building open, signifying that the night was coming to an end. Sakura hugged each teammate and gave her a reassuring squeeze, eyes thankful and holding back salty tears. She knew each of her boys were proud and she made a promise that she wouldn't let them down, she would be strong and confident in her abilities. They exited the ramen stand and went their separate ways to their homes, the streets sparse and dying with life.

Sakura hugged herself against the cold bitter air that begun to sink in, her feet oddly loud in silence that surrounded her in the empty street. White smoke escaped her pink lips as she exhaled, eyes locked with the stars above in a trance. Tomorrow she would be leaving the village on her first mission, a mix of worry and excitement racked her already shaking body. She would be gone for two months minimal, her heart aching at the thought of leaving behind her family and friends. However, convinced herself that this was what she wanted, salty tears brimming her eyes uninvited.

As she stared into the night sky, blinking away the oncoming tears, her attention focused on a deadly aura that presented itself near her location. Shinobi instincts kicked in instantly as she regulated her heartbeat and continued to walk at a normal pace, making sure not to give off any sign of her acknowledging the unwelcome guest. However, her feet stopped automatically when a shadow towered over her, eyes tracing it up to the source. Her heart sank and she clutched the cloth above the erratic beating against her ribcage, trying to bury memories that threatened to resurface.

Stood before her was the gates belonging to the Uchiha Compound, the stone an impossible eery black and suddenly she found herself meek and small under its presence. She remembered it once being brilliant and lively but as she stared with wide eyes at the darkness, it only harbored hate and the smell of age. Her fist tightened in defense as the aura from earlier brought her from the trance, the intent to kill radiating towards her dangerously fast. Not giving it any more thought, she ran as fast as her legs allowed her to, not bothering to stop until she reached her tiny apartment.

'_What in KAMI'S name was that?.' _she thought, breathing in quick, sharp breaths. Her body slid down the door, legs finally giving out in exhaustion, hitting her head with a small thud against the hard wood. Her heart sank as she started to convince herself that the aura was a bad omen, after all her mission started in less than 24 hours..

Shaking herself from the stupendous thought and pit feeling in her stomach, she stood up and headed down a small hallway leading into her bedroom. The pinkett collapsed onto her bed, not bothering to change out of the wrinkled cloths she wore, her mind succumbing to the abyss of sleep easily, unaware of a pair of watchful eyes.

* * *

The konoichi shifted from foot to foot as she impatiently waited for the rest of her squad to show, a white and red hawk mask hiding her annoyance. The bitter air raised goosebumps on her pale skin and white puffs of air surrounding her pink tresses as the sun's rays peaked through the light fog that blanketed the village. After about 10 more agonizing minutes, the other members accompanied her one by one, satisfying her impatient nature, however their Captain seemed to still be missing in action.

"Yo, what do you think about pinkie over there?" One of her new teammates asked, nudging the side of another member. She could feel their gaze, her cheeks stinging and she was thankful that it was concealed by her mask.

"Too small. No idea why she's on this squad." The other replied, sizing her delicate form which caused her cheeks to burn even hotter. The young leaf nin felt embarrassed and angry at their small banter, doing everything in her power not to pulverize the two. She heard a scoff and turned her attention back to her teammates.

"She's going to be the one to get us killed." The first one said, venom edged in his voice causing her to flinch.

'_Count to three Sakura...one...two..' _she silently coached herself, trying to refrain from the urge to give him a bloody nose.

"I guess they're letting anybody join ANBU now-a-days." muttered the other before she could count to three. The pinkett glided towards them with lightning speed, her hands clutching the fabric at their necks. She could see their look of surprise through the slits in their masks as she lifted them up with ease, feet inches from the ground despite her short stature.

"Feel ashamed." She seethed, grip tightening on the fabric. "Talking about a teammate behind their back?!" her voice grew louder and the two struggled beneath her grasp unable to free themselves. The third member stared in awe and shock, not wanting to involve himself in the situation in fear of getting pumbled himself.

"Do. Not. underestimate. me. Got it?" The konoichi asked in a sickly sweet voice. They nodded their heads in wild unison and fell to the ground unceremoniously as her grip released, a small muffled noise escaping from behind her mask.

"Wait until the Captain hears about this." one sneered, giving her a glare. However before any of them could respond a voice sounded behind them, capturing all their attention. Her emerald eyes met a pair of pale purple belonging to none other than Neji Hyuga garbed in an ANBU Captain's uniform.

"I don't think that would be necessary." He said simply, stopping beside the short pinkett and placing a hand on her shoulder. The duo who sat on the ground gawked at the gesture and she gave them a smug look.

"Ranked up since last time I saw you." the girl laughed, giving the captain a nudge. He ruffled a hand through her hair in response, earning heated glares as a reward from the other members.

"So have you." He noted, and she rolled her eyes in a sense of obviousness. "Everybody, let's head out. We camp when we reach Mist, got it?"

He was responded by stiff nods and the squad lifted off out of the village gates and raced towards their destination, determination held high in their spirits. Neji and Sakura traveled together, the other three teammates, she had yet to figure the names out, clearly avoiding a certain rosette. She felt a twinge of guilt grip her chest that things had got off to a bad start, but she knew that they were stuck with each other for a while so all would be forgiven in time.

"Always deep in thought." Neji chuckled and she nudged him playfully.

"Happens when you only have one friend on the squad." She said with a small sigh. Neji was never one to confide with due to his blunt opinions, but over the past few years while Naruto had been gone, he had been a close and dear friend to her. After missions, they'd often celebrate over a cup of hot tea and talk about mission details or personal endeavors. Needless to say, she was relieved he was on her team, and the captain no less.

"They had it coming. Give it a couple of missions and they'll warm up to you. I mean, you are quite the charmer." He teased and she could only laugh at the last comment.

"Bet that's how they warmed up to you then." The konoichi shot back, launching herself forward ahead of him, her laughter growing louder when she heard a branch snap from behind. He quickly caught up and fell into her pace, the trees a blur beside them.

"Hey boss, we got a chakra signature up ahead." Yelled back the auburn haired teammate she had earlier harassed. Her captain turned his attention forward, veins slowly branching out across his face as he activated the Byakugon.

"Spread out, Dog go left, Hawk stay with me, the rest head right. Got it?" He ordered and was responded with a unison of agreement, veering off as directed.

"Any idea who it is?" The rosette asked curiously.

"No, but the chakra is immense. It can't be good." He responded honestly, which she liked, but at this point she dreaded his honesty. Suddenly her thoughts drifted off towards the dangerous presence from yesterday. Maybe it was indeed a bad omen.

The duo got into position around a clearing, the other teammates hidden in the foliage surrounding the open grounds. The air around them was silent, not a leaf nor blade of grass dared to move in the stillness. The konoichi suddenly took in a sharp inhale as the hairs on the back of her neck raised on edge at the familiar deadly presence.

A kunai from the other edge of the clearing shot towards the high-grass, a flock of ravens breaking the eternal silence that engulfed the squad. Neji shielded Sakura instinctively, her body tensing until the black pearlescent birds disappeared into the darkening sky,eyes squeezed shut. If it weren't made clear that the mission were bad news, the girl certainly knew at that moment, the pit feeling returning in her stomach.

* * *

**Author's Note: Hey guys, sorry for the late update, just got a really bad cold. Thank you for the reviews, they're motivating me to write more and more c: Sorry for the poorly written chapter, I'm rushing and having a hard time forming the intro to the climax. Bear with me pease**

**Stay Classy Guys!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: I am officially bed ridden, but my boyfriend got out his old laptop for me, so I get to update again today! (Let's hope it won't take me nearly as long as yesterday lol)**

**YLCourt: Thank you for the review! It is incredibly motivating since I had my doubts about the chapter, and don't worry, he will be coming very soon.**

**Anyways, on to the story!**

* * *

**Chapter 4: The Test**

It had been a month since the encounter with the immense chakra, the squad comfortably sitting in a rented inn room discussing further details about their mission. They were to infiltrate a rebel base that had caused problems to the Mizukage and her subordinates, however the mission proved difficult due to the lack of information on their location.

"Sakura have you heard any rumors in the tea shop?" Neji, her captain asked. They were all desperate for information at this time, wanting nothing more than to be home in their beds.

"No rumors, no. But, lately I've noticed two or three people coming regularly in the afternoon." She answered, the four gathering around, waiting for her to continue her observation.

"The afternoon is busy so all conversations are mixed and hard to hear, which could offer a cover. They wear civilian cloths, but I can sense hidden chakra in at least two of them, so I can conclude that it is a meeting ground for the rebels." The konoichi finished, meeting the eyes of her Captain who only nodded.

"Way to go Cherry!" Sora-she had finally learned the name of- exclaimed, clasping her shoulder and giving her a small shake. Despite all the protests, they all still called her Cherry, even Neji much to her despair.

"Alright, with this being said, Akio you are to pay the tea shop a visit and try to find out more on these men. Trail them, don't make it obvious."He briefed, the seriousness returning to the mission at hand. The blonde nodded stiffly in response, turning to Sakura.

"Does that mean free tea?" He asked and a hard smack to the back of his head rewarded him with a bulbous bump. Their captain gave her a stern look but she immediately shrugged innocently.

"I'll get ready for work!" She said sweetly.

"Haruno, wait." Neji said, grabbing her arm and successfully stopping her. She gave him a questioning look, but he shoved a neatly wrapped box into her hand. "it's from all of us, open it."

The pinkett could only oblige as she tore open the pink wrapping paper, opening the box to reveal a small pendent. As she examined it further she noticed it to be made of a pink crystal in the shape of a cherry blossom, the middle beholding a diamond stud. She could only gap at its beauty.

"Happy Birthday Haruno." Neji said, kissing the top of her head in a friendly gesture. "now go get ready."

The girl quickly shut the bathroom door and garbed herself in a simple red, short sleeve Kimono, the length stopping at her knees. It was simple and sweet as she finished the uniform off with a black apron belt and tying her pink hair into a pony-tail and pinning the pendant above her heart. Satisfied, she slipped out of the room and towards the tea shop that now offered her cover in the vast Mist village.

* * *

Two hours had gone by and is if on cue, her mysterious boys made an entrance, sitting in the middle of the small shop to drone out their conversation. She walked up to them, maintaining character and asked their order as she had many times before, ignoring the looks of lust given by the men. The girl returned shortly with their drinks, trying to catch on to bits of their conversation, however they stopped as she placed the teas down, much to her dismay. She would just have to wait until her teammate arrived.

It seemed like hours when Akio came and sat, dressed in standardized Mist village civilian garments with his blonde hair slicked back. She quickly got his order and waited, acting like the perfect waitress as her partner did his part in carrying on the mission. Once they left the shop, she would have no hand in the assignment until the infiltration, a mix of relief and anxiety battling in her stomach. For another hour they sat, their banter still covered, but not nearly as much to their taste. They stood and paid the rosette, thanking her and hastily exiting the shop, Akio on their trail in an instant.

'_Way to make it NOT obvious..'_ She inwardly rolled her eyes at her partner's anxious behavior.

Her shift finally ended and she quickly made her way through the crowd and towards the inn that harbored her team. When she reached the room, her boys were huddled around waiting for her, eyes bright with good news.

"Please tell me we finally got it?" She begged desperately.

"Thanks to you, yes. Akio found it about 10 miles West of here." Neji answered, the corners of his lips curled into a smirk. The rosette sighed with relief, her body collapsing onto the bed, pink tresses spread around her like a halo.

"When do we start Step 2?" Etsuo, the third teammate asked. She peaked an eye open in curiosity, also wondering when the next phase would take place. The konoichi was anxious to return home and share a bowl of ramen with her knuckle-head teammate, or even play a game of GO with Shikamaru. All thoughts ended when their Captain responded.

"Tonight."

There were a collective gasps of unbelief as Neji answered, a thousand questions thrown at the Hyuga in response, but he ignored their banter calmly.

"Gear up, we leave in an hour."

* * *

The blackness of the night blanketed over the determined squad, providing excellent cover as they sat in their positions around an abandoned harbor. The bitter air bit at the konoichi's skin, but she blandly ignored the cold, pulling the red scarf around her neck tighter as she awaited orders, the cherry pendant she received for her birthday pinned to the fabric.

_"Is everyone in position?"_ Neji's voice broke through the com channel of the radio around her neck. Four clicks responded in acknowledgement, the Hyuga satisfied, continued. "_Hawk, scan the building, can you see anything we should be aware of?"_

The rosette doned in the bird mask scanned the harbor before her, looking for any thing out of the ordinary; genjutsu, an object out of place, etc.. However, her eyes failed to spot anything that could cause expulsion, meaning their cover had yet to be blown.

"Negative sir, we are green to go." She responded confidently, standing by for the final orders.

"_On my mark we go as planned. Capture Osamu alive and incapacitate anyone who stands in the way of our goal. Got it?" _He asked, his voice stern and steadily strong, making the mission all more serious. Four clicks passed through the channel, waiting for the go-ahead.

"_Three. Two. One. Mark!"_

The konoichi sped through the trees and headed towards the warehouse, her part being to pass through the main gates and take out the guards protecting the sirens. With them out of the picture, the risk of their presence being known was set to the minimum, which was the main goal. Their captain wanted a clean mission; in and out with no snags.

Her body gracefully twisted through the decaying and rusted support beams, being soundless and quick to get to her destination which was a mere three feet away. She crouched low against the floor behind two guards who stood sleepily on watch, shifting from foot to foot to keep their tired eyes open. The girl pounced swiftly, aiming two flat palms to their jugular, successfully knocking them out without causing any harm to the men. Next she disabled the sirens with a small chakra infused fist, careful to make as little noise as possible and giving her radio a click letting her team know she had been victorious in her part.

Three clicks were given in response and she impatiently waited for the fourth which never came. Her heart began to race and she made her way further into the building, hiding in the shadows and taking out any guards that came within her reach. When she was in the clear she reached for her radio, panic in her voice.

"Report."

She heard in response; Neji, Sora, Etsuo but no Aiko. Her heart sank at the lack of feedback from her teammate, but tried to convince herself it was due to lost connection, which was highly unlikely. The girls form sunk, her mind racing, debating on whether or not to risk her cover to search for the missing boy. Within seconds she made up her mind, heading towards the place Akio had supposed to infiltrate, reaching the dark hallway in minutes.

"Akio?" She whispered, activating her radio. If he were near, the connection would have given a sharp feedback, but as she listened there were nothing but silence. That and dangerous chakra. The rosette gasped and hid further into the shadows, gliding against the wall as support, quietly running away from the wielder.

When she rounded the corner and slid into a dark room, she stumbled across a fallen body, sensing the familiar chakra of her missing teammate. Her medic instincts kicked in and she examined him for wounds, a brilliant green omitting from her palms, lighting up the dark room. His eyes snapped open and he tackled her to the ground, escaping an attack aimed for the konoichi, the wind knocked from her lungs as she hit the ground. Black spots dotted her vision, and she cursed herself from not noticing the intruder earlier, begging her body to stand on feeble legs.

She sensed an attack and pushed Akio out of the way, grabbing the arm of the attacker and pulling a knee up to their chest forcing them backwards into the opposite wall. They were defenseless against the enraged konoichi as she landed a hit to his neck, a snap signifying a broken neck, the body drained of life fell to the ground.

"Akio are you okay?" She asked, her attention once again turning to her teammate, voice full of concern.

"I'm fine, are you?"his voice came out weak, but she could tell from her earlier examination that he only suffered a minor concussion. Probably due to the attacker that now lay dead on the opposite end of the room.

"Yes, I'm going to radio the Captain and get you out of here."The rosette explained, lifting his arm up and over her shoulder, supporting him with her short frame. She could feel his head bob up and down in agreement, her free hand reaching for the radio.

"Captain, Dog has been compromised. Taking him to safety as we speak, do you need assistance?" She spoke through the device, waiting for a response before daring to move from the safety of the room.

"Negative Hawk, situation is under control, we'll meet you at the Mizukage Tower." He answered.

"Got it." The radio went dead and she carried her teammate through the hallways, hugging the wall so the shadows would give them cover. It took more time to get out of the building than coming in, but within a half hour, she had managed to get the blonde to the safety of the Kage tower. Blue eyes scanned the two as the pinkett briefed the woman.

"The rest of my squad should arrive any minute with the Rebel leader. We were able to find the base earlier today as the abandoned harbor 10 miles west." her voice remained steady as she updated the brunette who nodded in approval, dismissing her to sit.

As if on cue, Neji, Sora and Etsuo arrived, an unknown man she assumed to be Osamu thrown onto the ground with a bag over his head, arms bound by rope. Their mission was a success.

"Kirigakure is in Konoha's debt, I, Mizukage am in your debt." She spoke, her voice fluid and gentle as she stood up and bowed to the 5 man squad, who returned the gesture immediately. "You may return to your home and celebrate."

Each member bowed as low as they could and beneath their masks, smiled to one another in success of their first mission together. Akio and Sora given the rosette a look of apology and regret which she accepted with a warm smile. They no longer doubted her capabilities and saw her as an equal, which was all she could ever ask for.

* * *

The shinobi traveled through the trees, itching to get home to their family and friends, excited chatter passing back and forth between the group as they talked about food and other little things. It was peaceful, their laughter filling their lungs and escaped into the air around them creating a bubble of happiness.

"Didn't know Akio had to be saved by a girl." Etsou teased, nudging the blonde's side who glared in response.

"I don't think she's a girl guys."Sora chimed in, a roar of laughter filling the air. Sakura blushed underneath her mask and chuckled, accepting the teasing due to her good mood.

"More of a man than Akio at least." Came her snide reply, causing the laughing to increase in volume. However it was all cut short when Neji stopped immediately, the four following suit as they stood in a line on a single branch.

"what is it Neji?" The rosette asked, a pit feeling of familiarity settling into her stomach. The hairs on the back of her neck returned once more and goosebumps prickled along her skin.

"Something big.."He began. Even with the mask covering his face she could see the veins of the active Byuakugon, causing even more concern in the konoichi. Suddenly her thoughts were brought back to the ominous chakra from a month earlier, and she realized it was the exact location from where they stood now.

"Neji..."She spoke, her voice soft, almost a whisper. A stillness overcame the squad as they shifted uncomfortably looking at one another, the Hyuga's eyes remaining locked with hers

"Run."

The squad took off with the speed of lightning, the immense chakra chasing after them as they shifted through the canapoy of the forest, trying to lose the pursuer. Chakra pumped through their feet to help gain speed and distance, but it proved little use as their prowler grew closer, panic setting in the konoichi.

"We need to fight!"Akio shouted over the rushing wind, but Sakura could only shake her head violently.

"Keep running, we're almost to Leaf territory!" She yelled back, however Neji's voice pipped in disapprovingly.

"He's right, Hawk! Everyone stand your ground, set up a perimeter and surround them!" He ordered and everyone obeyed, Sakura hesitantly so. They landed in a clearing, their backs to the middle where the Hyuga Captain stood due to his active Byuakugon, it was an effective technique however the girl felt otherwise in this situation.

The immense chakra zoned in on their location and for the first time, emerald eyes met the source of the wielder, widening with fear and shock. A black robe drifted in silence as it target Etsou, his abdomen split open by a sharp object causing blood to spray onto the ground in dangerous amounts. Without thinking she ran towards Akio, the man's next intended target, reaching him just seconds before.

She felt sharp metal drag through her arm, separating minor motor muscles, but she shook it off as adrenaline took over, allowing her to ignore the pain. She grabbed the robe arm with enough force to hear a small snap and flung him across the clearing, eyes narrowing when the cloaked man managed to rebound off a tree, standing on the other side.

"Get behind me, Sakura take care of Etsou!." Neji orded. The rosette could only oblige as she ran to her fallen teammate, emerald eyes wide as she examined the extent of the damage to his mid-section. Rage coursed through her veins and she looked up to meet the man responsible for causing her teammate harm.

He was dressed in the black and red robes owned by the infamous group of Akatsuki, his midnight black hair framed his face was brought back into a low pony-tail. Blood red eyes set with two tired lines stared into her emerald orbs, as if beckoning her to play a game, shivers ran along her spine. She had stared into the eyes of Itachi Uchiha himself.

"Neji get back!"She cried, running to him. However the two had already engaged in a taijutsu battle, one her eyes couldn't follow due to the incredible speed they possessed. Their bout didn't last long as the prestigious Hyuga coughed a stream of blood, falling to the ground unceremoniously, the veins sinking back into his skin as the Byuakugon deactivated.

Akio and Sora stood protectively in front of their female teammate, weapons drawn in defense as the Uchiha made his way towards the trio. On instinct she pushed the two out the way, receiving another gash in her shoulder, a grunt escaping her paling lips as blood snaked its way down her chin.

"You're fast konoichi." He commented in a silky voice, causing her to wince, emerald eyes avoiding contact. "Noble too, taking a hit to save your comrades. However, aren't med-nin supposed to stay out of the line of battle?"

"In examining one's opponents fighting style, you must adapt to avoid further damage so you can survive longer in battle. So I can heal my teammates." She stated, hugging her arm. The rosette took every lecture given by Tsunade to heart, shaping herself to be a better fighter, healer and teammate on the field. Her eyes remained focused on his chest as she blocked a series of attack, but she was pushed away, his focus on the last two members of the quad.

When she looked up, Ako and Sora were sprawled across the ground, blood staining their white armor and pooling around them, the crimson liquid sprayed across the lone standing konoichi. Her eyes were wide as everything stood still, the blood still hot from the warmth of her teammates bodies. She let out shaky breaths of panic as she looked at each member of her squad, legs threatening to give out.

"No..no. Nonononoo."The rosette repeated, rage coursing through her veins as she squeezed her eyes shut, trying to shake the images away. She felt an attack and she instinctively threw her arms up in defense. The konoichi opened her eyes, her body feeling as if it were on fire as her veins boiled with rage.

She sent a barrage of attacks, forcing the Uchiha to be on the defensive end, hey eyes remained locked on his chest, just as she had done training against Kakashi. The rosette felt him falter, meaning she had successfully landed a blow on the Akatsuki member, forcing him to take two steps back. However she didn't falter as she was upon him in seconds, landing calculated jabs at pressure points in his body, his arm going lax.

"Impressive." He mused, more to himself, but she had heard him. Suddenly he jumped backwards to escape the konoha konoichi's wrath, her eyes meeting his for the first time since their encounter. Passive met rage, but the anger faltered as she focused her attention on her fallen comrades, eyes scanning for details.

'_Etsou suffered a deep gash in his abdomen, missing vital organs. Neji shows no sign of physical damage so the Uchiha must have done psychological damage. Akio and Sora severed motor muscles and broken ribs. This is too messy.'_ She assessed, eyes once again returning to Itachi. It seemed as if the Uchiha had missed vital organs purposely, as if testing her.

"Consider this a gift. Happy Birthday Haruno."

She blinked and the criminal was gone, his words echoing in her mind, the realization sinking in. However she pushed the thoughts away, focusing her attention on each of her teammates, hands glowing a brilliant green, trying to keep herself under control.

* * *

Crimson eyes watched the bloodied pinkett as she moved from one squad member to the next, her chakra draining from her body dangerously fast, but she'd shown no sign of distress. She had ignored her injuries completely, the blood caking a dark maroon on her armor along with her teammates. When her eyes strayed from his during the fight, he knew she had figured out the test he set out for her. He already knew her strength, but wat he didn't know was her medical ability, which he was witnessing at the moment. He had felt remorse, however as he continued watching, he had grown more comfortable in his plan.

She was hope.

* * *

**Author's note: Wheeeeeew, that was an incredibly long chapter for me haha. I had the idea for this story around the beginning of March and had hoped to have this scene out by Sakura's birthday, however, I'm just a tad bit late :/ Gomen ne :c **

**Anyway, hope you enjoyed, the good part is just getting started ;)**

**Stay Classy guys!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: Ohiyo! I am no longer sick! Working hard on developing this story and hopefully you're enjoying it!**

**YLCourt Thank you! Your love and support is amazing right now :) Don't worry there will definitely be more ItaSaku solo moments, so stay tuned!**

**Leafstone: Thank you! You've been a loyal fan and I love the support!**

**Anyways, on to the story!**

* * *

**Chapter 5: The War at Home**

Sakura's mind raced as her teammates bodies sprawled around her, Itachi's words taunting her and clouding her thoughts She buried them as far as she could and ran towards Etsou's almost lifeless body, her hands omitting a brilliant green hue. The medic in her noted that the attack had missed his vital organs by centimeters, any deeper and her teammate would had suffered Classed 3 Hemorrhage. She concentrated on the wound, her arms tingling as his skin mended itself together, leaving a thin pink line as the only evidence of the attack.

Moving as fast as her body allowed, she knelt next to her Captain, delicate fingers tracing the sides of his face which held a look of anguish. Once again, green radiated from her palms, his suffering vanishing as she concentrated, brows furrowing. Sakura knew she couldn't heal the psycological damage done by the Uchiha, but she could soothe the pain. She knew the agonizing discomfort of having someone intrude and prod through something meant to be private. As she moved towards Akio, her frail form stummbled forcing her to regain balance with her wounded arm, a sharp cry escaping from chapped lips. The pain had begun to sink in from her own wounds.

'_I can't keep this up. I'm loosing motor function in my left arm and I have yet to heal Akio and Sora._' The rosette mentally cursed, biting her lip enough to draw blood. Sighing, she bit her thumb and formed her hands into signs, a blue and white slug appearing in a cloud of smoke in front of her.

"Katsuyu." She breathed, the slug giving her a slight look of confusion-or that's what it seemed.

"Sakura-san, what happened?"

"There's no time. I need you to report to Tsunade-Shishou, tell her I request immediate transport." Sakura instructed, Katsuyu nodding as understanding and dissapeared on her quick mission.

Pushing her pain away, the medic concentrated her chakra on Akio's wounds that were scattered among his body, some more severe than others. Again, the Uchiha's attacks were calculated and precise, missing vital organs and major motor muscles by centimeters, testing her, taunting her. She could feel her teammate's muscles stitch themselves together, his wounds mending and reforming into clean, untouched skin, save for a pink line of tender skin aligning his jugular. Her heart jumped when she realized how close he had come to death; just 1/2 a centimeter to the left and he wouldn't had made it.

Sakura's tired eyes traced the outline of Sora's body next, her vision clouded by black dots and she collapsed onto her side, grunting in pain. The konoichi was determined as she crawled towards her fallen teammate, dirt scraping and digging into her wounds, her hand finally reaching Sora. She forced herself onto the side of her hip, and poured her remaining chakra into his body, mending his muscles and torn ligaments as her vision began to cloud once more. Her breathing became ragged, her body shook uncontrollably and she blacked out, her head hitting the ground heavily.

* * *

The blonde haired woman stared down upon her pink haired student, her brows knitted together in worry and fear for the girl's well-being. Two hours ago Katsuyu summoned herself onto her desk, debriefing the condition of Hyuga's squad and now she stood, pacing in Sakura's room. She had sent a squad immediately upon request to retrieve the squad and was informed that the male teammate's conditions were stable and healthy. The Hokage knew that her student spent her chakra healing her boys, sacrificing her health for theirs. It was Noble. Noble and very stupid. However, all thoughts were abandoned when Sakura's eyes fluttered open slowly, as if weighed down, a moan escaping her pale lips.

"Sakura!" Tsunade exclaimed, embracing her student who flinched.

"Tsunade-shishou, you got the message."The pinkett grunted out, the force of her teacher's embrace crushing the air out of her lungs. The woman pulled back, tears brimming her eyes as she stared at the dark circles and mangled hair belonging to the medic.

"Of course, I will always be there for you, no matter what." Amber eyes softened as a tear slipped down Sakura's face, the girl's hand gripping her mentor's.

"I should have listened Shishou, I should have been more careful. I was supposed to protect them. I..I-i'm sorry." The frail girl said, tears spilling down her cheeks, but Tsunade held her chin, making her look into her deep amber eyes.

"You did protect them. Because of you, the entire squad's conditions are stable."She said softly, hugging the girl and offering a blanket of comfort. Sakura wiped her tears away and sniffed, nodding vigorously.

"Are they okay?"

"Yes, everyone can go home tomorrow, well except for you" The blonde chuckled, kissing her forehead when her student stuck out her lip in a pout. "Get some rest and maybe I'll allow an early discharge."

"Yes Shishou."Sakura sighed, crawling under her covers for warmth and closing her eyes. Tsunade stared at her student with warm, motherly eyes before turning the light off and exiting the room, heels clicking beneath her.

The pinkett rolled over in frustration, thoughts racing through her mind about the mission regarding her teammate's health and their attacker. The repressed memories crept back into the present, Itachi's words echoing in her mind like a fresh wound that dug into her deep in her heart causing a sharp pain. She remembered the wounds that her teammate's had suffered, how close they had come to death by the hands of the rouged criminal that haunted her former partner. He gave her a test, for some unknown reason and she berated herself for unable to figure it out, her mind under complete exhaustion.

Sighing she carefully took out the I.V's that imbedded themselves in her wrists, a small grunt escaping her chapped lips. With a groan she pulled herself up, taking precaution in putting pressure on her bandage arm. The hospital gown she wore seemed too big around her frail body, the tile beneath her cold as she exited her room and made her way to the room next to her. She slowly opened the door, a line of bright light shined upon her Captain's covered form, her body gravitated towards him.

His face held a form of anguish, body shaking from the damage the Uchiha had caused the Hyuga prodigy. Her brows knitted in concern and she placed her hand upon his face, green omitting from her finger tips as she tried to soothe his pain. The pinkett kissed his forehead softly when his look of agony turned into blissful peace causing her heart to sink with relief.

"Don't worry Neji, I'll always have your back."She whispered softly, a small smile gracing her lips. The room was dark and empty, save for a small sliver of silver moonlight that shone on the wall behind her.

"But will he have yours?"Cut in a deep silky voice, the pinkett gasping at the familiarity. She backed away into the moonlight, the dangerous aura suffocating her as it neared and closed in.

"G-get away."The konoichi stammered, her back hitting the wall, body engulfed in the brilliant moonlight. She outstretched her arms which, seconds later a warm and solid figure pushing against them with vigorous strength. She was forced to look away from his crimson eyes, her breath catching in her throat.

"Now why would I want to do that?"He asked simply, placing a hand on the side of her left face, taking in her features. She felt small and meek under his presence, her arms being pushed easily back as he inched closer.

"Because It would be a wise decision."She seethed, strength coming back to the girl as her eyes gazed over her Captain. The man before her was responsible for causing her teammates harm and she'd be damned if she let him go unharmed. He leaned back into the shadows as if taken by surprise, but then a chuckle rummbled through his rib-cage and through her, causing her to shudder under the vibration. He was laughing at her, she felt infuriated and embaressed. His masculine face inched towards hers becoming engulfed in the moonlight once again, a small smirk playing at the corners of his thin lips.

"My, my, you have spirit Haruno." The Uchiha laughed. He picked up a strand of her pink hair, staring at the tresses as if they were the most interesting thing in the world. He wanted to study her, eyes meeting her emerald which were wide and innocent. "which makes you perfect." He could feel her breath catch as she stopped breathing, plump pink lips quivering.

"Excuse me?!" She breathed, letting out shaky breaths. She stared carelessy into his dangerous Crimson, time coming to a stand still. As she continued to stare, she came to the realization that the Uchiha before her looked much like her former teammate. She quickly shook the thoughts away as she focused on the elder. "Is that why you tested me?" Her voice grew loud.

"Yes." He answered simply, cupping her chin, his thumb covering her lips as a sign to be silent. The konoichi's face grew red with heat at the unwelcome touch of his calloused hands. "I knew of no other way to test your medical abilities, and now I have my answer."

"At the risk of my teammate's lives!"She seethed, pushing against him with newfound force. She felt the anger course through her veins, blood boiling as the rage consumed her. No longer was she afraid of the man before her, she did not see him as a threat, but perhaps that was her mistake. A strong arm snaked around her waist bringing her close to the cloaked man, his other hand covering her mouth lightly.

"I apologize for having to do this Haruno. Will you cooperate?" He asked, a hint of amusement laced in his voice. Her brilliant green eyes blinked slowly and he released her, the rosette quickly backing away and hitting the wall. However it still didn't seem far enough from the criminal.

"Don't ever touch me again." She threatened, pointing her finger at him. The Uchiha innocently put his hands out in defense, half his face illuminated by the moonlight, as he allowed another smirk. She shuddered under his gaze, hugging the loose cloth of the hospital gown to her small frame, looking away. "You have 2 minutes Uchiha, then I let the whole damn place know you're here."

"Fair enough Haruno." He began, taking a step forward, forcing the pinkett back. "I left behind something important in this village and time and time again I thought there would be no chance in finding what I lost. Until I stummbled across you."

"And that means what exactly?" She asked pointedly, eyes narrowing. But, with a wave of his hand and a small shake of his head he dismissed her question.

"It means that you were what I lost. Not you exactly, but the essence of you." He answered swiftly and continued on ignoring her confused look. "The will of fire that burns through your heart, the loyalty, the hope that courses through your blood and changes everyone around you." He took yet another step forward, causing the pinkett's back to hit the wall once again.

"My plans for you konoichi are simple." He inched closer, once more lifting a strand of her pink hair.

"And what may that be?"She shakily asked, her breath coming rapidly and she could feel herself beginning to hyperventilate under his touch.

"To expose the village for its tyranny. Restore my village.."He paused, hand lingering on her chin, making her eyes meet his. "your village, to its former glory."

" '_Former _Glory?' " She questioned, lifting her chin out of his grasp. Her breathing became more rapid and she beratted herself for letting fear get the best of her.

"Yes, you have certain pests infecting the council that must be.._dealt with._" He answered, placing a hand on her elbow to steady her frail frame., which she shook away. "If you accomplish said task, my dear little brother will be allowed to return."

"I'm..I'm sorry, What?" She felt as if the air from her lungs had been knocked out, and she had to hold on to the wall to brace herself. She could see a small look of concern cross Itachi's face, but it was instantly replaced and masked by passiveness.

"Your dear former teammate would be welcomed with open arms back into the village."

"He won't return, not with you still alive."She seethed, taking her hand off her support and standing very shakily before the Uchiha. "And what makes you think I _WANT _him back into this village?" He could feel the pain she emoted without her even saying a word, the anger and sorrow she felt, her emerald eyes shimmering with salty tears. His brother had hurt her and many people upon leaving the village, but their efforts in trying to convince his younger brother to return was proof enough against her last comment.

"Because your heart is too forgiving." He answered sadly, an emotion that went unmissed by the girl. Her body fell and before she could hit the ground, his arms wrapped around her form easily, shifting her into a bridal style position and walking to her room swiftly.

He placed her fragile form onto the uncomfortable looking hospital bed and stared silently at her distressed face, releasing a heavy sigh. He didn't blame her for falling under a stressful endeveor, however he had little and limited time in the village each night and his time was up. The Uchiha would have to wait yet another day to speak to the Kunoichi and that is, even if she wanted to talk. Now she knew his intentions and she could very well avoid him at all costs. However, he was a determined man and he would get he came for.

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**Author's Note: Oh hey, 3 days...ha actually 4 days later and I finally got the chapter done! Whoo! Hopefully you guys enjoyed it and I'm really looking forward to what you think! Sadly I won't be updating in the next couple of days, gotta work some busy hours :c**

**Stay Classy Guys.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: Ohiyo! After working a week strait of Doubles, I have two lovely days off, so hopefully I can update at least twice! ;D**

**YLCourt: Oh yes, you know very well where I'm going with this c; And don't worry! There shall be lots more ItaSaku bwuaha.**

**silverwolfigther00: Prepare for it to be even more exciting!  
**

**Anyways, on to the story!**

* * *

**Chapter 6: Course of Action**

**Light **streamed through the half open blinds belonging to Sakura's hospital room, drawing out a moan from the girl as her eyes fluttered open. She laid there quiet momentarily and shot up when she remembered the eventful previous night, wincing as a dull ache shot through her arm. The girl groaned and laid back down, her mind racing at the thought of the elder Uchiha, his words echoing and tormenting her tired self.

However, despite his ridiculous proposition, she believed every word. Somewhere deep in her heart she knew he was a hundred percent honest and it sincerely concerned and frightened her. Although that meant that the village had a faulty government, which wasn't uncommon, but still unnerving that it was her home, a place meant to be safe and secure. With a sigh she covered her eyes with the crook of her elbow, unsure of what direction to take with the information. Should she tell Tsunade-Shishou in her mission report, or trust the Uchiha; a rouged criminal feared across the land. She let out a groan of frustration and before she could begin thinking about her situation again, she heard the door creak.

"Sakura?" She peeked from under her arm at the source of the voice, pale purple eyes meeting hers. The girl escaped the blankets holding her legs and strided towards her Captain, capturing him in a tight embrace.

"Neji!" She cried. She felt his arms wrap around her waist returning the warm gesture, her head buried in his chest due to his height. Thoughts of his fallen body resurfaced, the blood that dribbled down his chin, his surprised look of defeat; she shook her head, the thoughts vanishing.

"Hey don't forget about us Cherry." Added a voice behind her Captain. She peeked around the Hyuga prodigy, her eyes met with the rest of her boys, grins plastered stuipidly on their faces. Before they could react, she wrapped her arms around her teammate's necks, bringing them close together-much to their discomfort. Tears slipped down her face in a small torrent, her heart aching as she remembered their lifeless bodies, the blood that painted the field under the Uchiha who stood over them. All she did was stand on the sidelines and watch as her team, one by one, fell defeated. She beratted herself for unable to do anything, she felt the guilt and the pain. Three sets of arms pulled her attention to the present again, as she was pulled into a deep embrace by her boys, staying like that until sobs no longer racked her body. Finally pulling back and releasing them, she gave them a quick look over, seemingly satisfied with their conditions.

"You're looking like hell." Akio commented, earning a sharp glare from the pinkett, but he just kissed the top of her head in a brother way. "But that's expected from protecting an idiot team like us."

"We should have listened to you."Sora added, but she just shook her head. If they would have kept running, they wouldn't have reached Leaf in time, the Uchiha would have stopped them before they could reach the territory.

"Ne, we did what was right guys. You boys are alright and the mission was a success, so I don't know why you're apologizing."She said lightly, making the team stand strait. She was right afterall, they could leave the hospital today and enjoy a two weeks off. They exchanged glances, leaving the pinkett with a confused look.

"We want to celebrate tonight." Neji explained, making the girl turn around and face him as he added. "As a thank-you."

"Without you, Kami _knows _what would have happened."Estou spoke for the first time, his hand was clutching his abdomen causing her heart to twist. She felt his pain, his agonizing pain, the guilt eating her alive.

"Guys, we were just caught off guard, I'm su-"

"Don't try to justify our stupidity."Akio said, successfully cutting her off, giving her a small grin. Despite herself, her lips curled into a soft smile, one filled with gratitude and kindness. "We'll see you at Ichiraku's tonight!"

With that being said, they gave her a big bear hug and left, leaving her with their Captain who stood silently with his arms crossed. She gravitated towards her bed and sat down, slowly pulling off the bandages that wrapped around her shoulder. With shaking hands she unwrapped the last strand, scanning her arm for any imperfections. Her eyes traced a tender pink line that reached from a small portion of her shoulderblade to the outline of her tricep, missing the black ink that marked her as ANBU.

"You'll never notice it." Neji said lightly, her attention turning towards him. He leaned against the wall casually, his pale eyes tracing her scar. She sighed and pulled the rest of her bandages off, anger taking control.

"I didn't do anything."She seethed, more to herself than towards him. "I stood there and watched as all of you got hurt. My job is to protect you!" her hands balled into fists, turning white under the intense pressure and she let out a groan of frustration.

"You did Sakura." Her Captain said beside her. She hadn't noticed that he moved from the wall to sitting on the bed next to her, an arm draped around her tensed shoulders. The rosette gave him a look of guilt and sorrow, salty tears of anger stinging at her eyes and threatening to spill. "Because of you, we are all alive. You literally gave your life for ours, you were willing to sacrifice yourself for our team and if that is not protection then I do not know what is."

"But I won't be able to heal the damage he has done." The girl sniffed, leaning her head on his shoulder.

"There is only so much you can do Sakura. Everything will be healed over time, just be patient."He soothed, making Sakura relax, the tension in her body fading.

"You're right.."She sighed in defeat, giving him a small smile. "Thank you Neji" Her Captain only gave a small nod and a sincere grin, ruffling her hair and standing up.

"I'll see you tonight."He said with a wave and closed the door behind him. Sighing she got up and changed into civilian clothes Naruto must have brought for her, pulled her pink tresses in a high pony-tail and gave herself a quick look-over. She could still see the scar the Uchiha marked her with, and angerly pulled her sleeve down, tryind desperately to hide the hideous line. With a final look at her prison, she turned the lights off and left to discharge herself.

The breeze felt cool against her as it brushed across her delicate skin, sending chills up her spine. The Village was bustling with life and activity, the loud voices and laughter sounded like music compared to her confinement. It was a beautiful day to breathe the air that wierdly tasted like apples, a small giggle escaping her lips at the thought. She felt like dancing around in the warm sun despite her previous somber mood, the breeze tickling her face.

Sadly, a few minutes later she reached the destination of her apartment, opening the door to reveal her spacious home. However it seemed lonely and dark, so she opened every window she could find, enjoying the cross-breeze that flew through. Satisfied, she pulled a medical text-book off of her bookshelf and plopped herself on her black loveseat, sprawling out in the sunlight.

She flipped the book open to a random page, her thumb landing on the title of Ocular Nerves, eyes scanning each sentence swiftly, soaking the information like a sponge. The nerves were made up of three layers and two systems, if the central nervous system of the nerves were damaged, it was impossible for regeneration. Everything healed on its own, but the small thread like fibers were so delicate, that if strained even the tiniest bit, the tension would permenately remain, eventually causing irreversible blindness. Before she could read more, she felt her eyes weigh down and she could no longer stay awake.

* * *

"Hey you in there Cherry?" A voice sounded distantly, the sleeping pink haired beauty rolling over, her forgotten book falling noisily on the wooden floor. She jolted awake as the knocking continued, smoothing her hair out

"Just a minute!"She called, frantically bustling about, trying to make herself at least seem presentable. Seemingly satisfied, she opened the door to reveal her auburn haired teammate who leaned casually on the outside of her apartment. A grin spread across his face when he saw his female teammate and her disheveled self.

"I figured you would side-track yourself, so I'm here to escort you."Sora explained, holding out his elbow. Giggling, Sakura slipped her arm through his and started their journey into the village. Night had begun to blanket Konoha, lanterns one by one illuminating the darkened streets, bursting life back into the people. Suddenly she felt very thankful Sora had offered to walk with her, she could feel a pair of eyes watch her every movement, waiting for her to be alone so he could pounce. The Uchiha's words still echoed in her mind, tormenting her.

"You ok?"Her teammate asked, interjecting her thoughts.

"Ye-yeah, I'm sorry, I was just thinking."She answered sheepishly.

"Yeah, you do that a lot."He commenting, letting out a short laugh. She pulled her head back and laughed, the breeze catching her messy pink tresses and covering her face, causing the two to laugh further. She liked Sora, he was relaxed and calm no matter the situation, down-to-Earth and she was glad she had gotten to know him over their month-long mission. He was a year older than her, joined the ops a year ago and had 3 older sisters making him the youngest in their family. She felt alone being the only child, but it was definitely better than 3 sisters, she enjoyed her alone time.

"You're doing it againnn."He laughed, causing the girl to blink away her thoughts. They had reached their destination and he opened the red curtains for her, the pinkett giving him a look of thanks as she slipped in to meet the rest of their teammates. Three pairs of eyes turned towards them, ramen hanging from their mouths mid-bite.

"Guess she didn't forget us afterall."Akio said, stuffing his mouth with the rest of the warm noodles. He reminded her too much of the knuckle-head Naruto, the thought was frightening. She took a seat next to the blonde, Sora sitting down beside her ordering them their meals.

"How can I forget about _you?"_ the konoichi snorted, thanking Ayame as the girl handed the duo their ramen. The blonde gave her a dirty look, but Sakura grinned innocently, shrugging her shoulders and dug into the steaming bowl. The warmth of the porcelain bowl was refreshing and comforting against the cool breeze that brushed their backs.

"We have to go to the Tower tomorrow to give our report."Etsou announced, Sakura stopping mid-bite before quickly recovering. She didn't want to think of reporting the mission to Tsunade-Shishou, it would only make her remember what Itachi had done to her team; the blood, their defeat, his test. The wound was too fresh in her heart, however she had to be strong; their mission was a success after all...

"I don't think we need to talk about that tonight.."Sora interjected after he noticed their lone female's shoulders tense ever so slightly. She gave him a silent thank-you and pushed her bowl away, appetite no longer apparent.

"Right, you're right."Akio said quickly, hanging an arm over the pinkett's shoulders, the mood lifting significantly. She let out a laugh at the blonde's antics, his chopsticks sticking out of his lips like a walrus making him look like an idiot, but she appreciated that moment. In the next hour, she forgot all about the Uchiha as her and her boys joked and told stupid stories, the topic strangely ending up on Sakura's hair.

"Is it natural?"Akio asked, a snort escaping the konoichi, Neji scooting away slightly away from the blonde.

"Yes, do you not _like _it?"She shot back, the her question evident of a threat. He quickly put his hands up in defense catching the trap, slinging an arm over her shoulders again and bringing her closer.

"No, no, I have a thing for..rose..no _bubblegum._"He corrected himself earning a warning glare. The blonde slowly removed his arm and stuck to himself for the rest of the night resulting in the rest of the boys to tease him. The night had gotten colder, the breeze stinging at their skin as it inched closer to midnight, the noise from the streets dying by the minute. They took this as a signal to call it a night and pay for their meals, each hugging the rosett as more of a comforting gesture.

"You need me to walk you home?"Sora asked, and she quickly shook her head, despite the rapid beating of her heart. He gave her a long look, his brows furrowed as if to question her, but she dismissed him with a smile and a wave of her hand.

"I'm fine Sora, I'll see you tomorrow."the rosette assured and waved goodbye as she walked towards her apartment, hugging herself against the night was bitter, the air that escaped her lungs chilled into puffs of smoke, the chill crawling up her spine. Her footsteps echoed loudly on the pavement in the silence of the dead night, no one was in sight as the lanterns slowly died out. Despite the pit-feeling in her stomach, she redirected herself, taking a longer route to her home and it wasn't long until she felt a familar presence.

"I'm surprised you didn't take his offer."Came his voice from the shadows of the tree-line.

"There's no point in trying to avoid you."She responded cooly, hugging herself tighter as the breeze blew by, her pink tresses suspended in the air momentarily. She could feel him walk beside her in the cover of the shadows, could feel his eyes follow her movements as if analyzing her, unerving her to no end.

"I have limited time here, so I will try to explain everything thoroughly." He said, but she turned her head away in defiance.

"Just because I'm listening does NOT mean I'm complying with you."The rosette firmly stated, and she could feel him falter slightly, earning a small victory for the konoichi.

"It will be up to you to decide what you want to do with the information I will provide you with. However, if you haven't told anyone about me yet, then I sincerely doubt you will." He commented, her shoulders sinking with her short lived victory. She stopped suddenly as her emerald eyes landed on a lone stone bench, her heart catching in her throat as time came to a stand-still. The cold didn't bother her as it bit at her skin, she continued to stare at the bench that her former teammate and crush left her on years ago. She was so foolish! So young and naive.

"He left me here, your brother."She explained before she could stop herself, she didn't know why she bothered telling him, but it was too late now. "The last time Naruto and I tried to bring him back he was ready to kill us, like we were nothing." The man in the shadows could feel the pain in her voice, she let out a cry at the last part of her sentence, as if she were wounded.

"He is foolish and blinded."He responded after a minute, making the girl somewhat dissapointed, her shoulders sinking further, her head bowed.

"Don't try to justify him. Don't."The rosette said softly. She didn't want to hear any excuses, especially one coming from a rouged criminal who was mere feet away from her.

"He's my brother.."Was all she heard as a shadow loomed over her small form. She didn't have to look up to recognize it as the gates belonging to the Uchiha compound, a sense of guilt over-taking her. She felt him appear behind her, his arm reaching past her and opening the large door with a rusty creak, beckoning her in. She wondered how long it had been since anyone had stepped foot inside the compound as she slipped through, Itachi closing the gate behind them.

He was no longer hidden in the shadows as he was concealed with the safety of the grounds, his crimson eyes staring down upon her as he gestured her to walk. Taking a deep breath she walked further into the haunted compound, the Uchiha uncomfortably close by her side, her eyes wandering to the aged buildings. She remembered them to be bright and beautifully structured, bustling with life, however now it was dead and eerily silent, the cold cutting her skin causing her goosebumps to rise. She felt a heavy material drape across her shoulders, warmth instantly taking over her once shaking body, her eyes gazed up at the man strangely.

"No point in having you freeze to death."He explained, a hint of amusement in his voice. She rolled her eyes and despite Inner's protest, hugged the material closer to her body, enjoying the warmth.

"If what you said was true, if..if I do what you say, Sasuke will be allowed back into the village?"She asked suddenly, the man giving her a side-long glance, a smirk played at the corners of his mouth.

"Yes. Are you willing to comply Haruno?"He asked.

"I want to know everything first, then I'll decide."The rosette answered and he gave a nod, the two sitting on an aged wooden porch, the konoichi inching away to avoid contact. He knew that he could trust the girl beside him despite what she would decide because he knew she would help, it was just in her nature to do such.

"After the Nine-tails attacked the village, the Uchiha were pegged as culprits trying to harness the Fox's powers, so we were sent to live here in this compound."He began, arms outstretched to demonstrate the story. "Our clan hated how we segregated as if already guilty for a crime they did not commit, so they entrusted me to be a spy upon our government. However, I knew that our feud with the village would lead to a civil war and eventually a Shinobi war"

He paused for a moment, his eyes soaking in the aging buildings around them as if trying to remember how they were before the massacre, when life was simple. Feeling his distressed self she inched herself closer as if beckoning for him to continue, too engrossed in the story. She was curious as to where it was leading.

"I was not only a spy for the clan, but I was a spy for the Hokage as well. Along with..a close friend."Again he paused, the girl staring at his sillohette with empathy.

"Shisui..right?"She asked cautiously, the man looking at her with a sad look, the pinkett quickly averteing her gaze.

"Yes. He also did not agree with the Uchiha's rebellious act of defiance. We approached the Council with our information, and the result was..petrifying."He could feel the girl beside him freeze as she pieced together the information, slowly coming to a realization.

"Who ordered it?"She asked, her voice barely above a whisper, her heart clentched in terror and fear. Her emerald eyes met crimson, thirsty and desperate for an answer. Depite the sorrow that hung in the air, he couldn't help but notice how innocent she was, he almost didn't want to stain the purity.

"Danzo. In order to avert the war, everyone save for Sasuke was to be disposed of." The man answered, closing his eyes, not wanting to watch the corruption of her innocence take place. He heard a gasp and a stiffle so he dared a peek at the girl beside him, noting the silent tears that fell onto his robe she wore, her body racked as she tried to cover her mouth. The shock had hit her; from the tyranny of her village to the guilt she felt towards her former teammate and his brother that sat beside her now. She felt his arm hesitantly drape around hers in a form of comfort, causing the girl to cry harder despite her attempts to stop. She wanted to be strong, wanted to be defiant, but it was no use.

"How am I supposed to do this? How am I supposed to expose years and years of lies? My word against his isn't good enough.."She sniffled, and he just silenced her, letting her relax and clear her head, his arm still around her small frame. Suddenly she was thankful for the gesture. "I'm sorry."

He was silent as he debated how to respond, his body rigid as he felt the warmth of her body press against his in a tight embrace. He returned the gesture by wrapping his other arm around her, the two staying like that for what seemed like hours. He could feel her pounding heartbeat against his chest and he allowed himself to slip ever so slightly, his grip tightening. Before he knew it the girl had gone limp as her sobs stopped, and he realized that she had fallen asleep, her face peaceful despite what he had just thrown at her.

He lifted her body up and cradled her head gently, making his way silently to her apartment, slipping into one of the many open windows. As he laid her down upon her bed, she buried her face into his robe for warmth, a small sincere smile appearing a cross his face. Her innocence was what made her so unique and perfect and he felt guilty by corrupting the purity. He knew however that she'd be able to change everything for the better. Even for him.

"Goodnight, Sakura."

* * *

**author's note: Wow, holy heck long chapter and I'm sorry it took so long! It's been incredibly busy and I went to work my "two days off" I'm sorry I'm sorry. I know it wasn't entirely something new, but it is leading onto the next chapter I promise! SO stay tuned, I'll get off work early tomorrow. As always I would love to hear what you guys think! **

**Stay Classy**


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: Ohiyo! Whoo, got the day off and I am NOT answering any phonecalls from work..Got my superman jammies on, sipping a cuppa joe, ready to write for you lovlies!**

**YLCourt: I'm trying to make her life seem normal and chaotic at the same time to save some of her innocence, well that's the plan xD And I will, your love is totally keeping me afloat, I always look forward to your reviews!**

**kyoko minion: Soon enough my deary, everything will come together *insert evil genious laugh***

**Bliss123: I know! That's why I wanted to write one for so long! I just love the perfection of the two :3 It shall get better from here on, girl scouts honor.**

**Anyways, on to the story!**

* * *

**Chapter 7: Don't look back**

**Sakura** awoke with protest as beams of light illuminated her face, body mid-stretch she felt the heavy material of the Uchiha's cloak slide off her petite body. Her emerald eyes stared absently at the fabric as she was lost deep in thought of the man's formidable story. She felt her heart twist and tightened at the Uchiha's undying loyalty to their home and the guilt she felt for the misplaced hatred she had once held towards him. The girl knew in her heart that she would do everything in her power to expose the tryanny of Danzo, fully knowing the complications of her secret mission. Quickly getting up, she shook her head of all thoughts regarding the Uchiha, throwing the cloak in her closet she changed into her ANBU uniform, her hawk mask covering her face. Her priorities at the moment lay on her mission report. As if on cue, a knock sounded from the front door.

She swiftly tied her hair up and went to answer, revealing Sora and Akio who were caught deep enough in an argument that they failed to notice their pink-haired teammate. The girl coughed to gain their attention, and immediately their heads turned in unison, sheepish grins plastered on their faces.

"We-we were just-"Akio started but was cut off by a hard smack to his head by Sora.

"Just waiting. Shall we go?"He said smoothly, inclining his head towards the tower that stood guard over the city. With a quick look of confusion mixed with suspicion the girl started walking, Akio and Sora on either side of her making her feel like the mediator between the two. Their mood lightened significantly when they reached the busy market lined with people, the positive energy radiating towards them like an embrace. When they reached the tower it was as if the male's arguement never transpired. They climbed the stairs a couple of floors and were soon met with two heavy looking oak doors that towered over them.

The girl knocked twice, the doors opening inward in response, revealing a very unhappy looking Tsunade who sat on edge at her desk. The room consisted of several members of ROOT, her former teammate Sai including, who stood guard around an elder man whose hair had hints of grey. The Slug Princesses' amber eyes bore into the man's with distaste, a smirk played at the corners of his lips. Sakura froze at the sudden realization to the man's identity, her heart pounding loudly, so loud she was fearful everyone could hear.

"Please excuse us, Danzo-_sama_ was just leaving."The woman said, forcing out the formality with venom. Emerald eyes remained locked on the elder, a sense of rage slowly consuming her as she imagined the man giving Itachi those appaling orders. He was guilty and she would make him pay for his crimes, her chest burned with malice. She bit hard on her tongue as she begged her breathing to return to normal, even breaths. She was silently glad her mask covered her face, otherwise she would have been exposed.

"This conversation isn't over Tsunade.."Danzo seethed before consuming into a cloud of smoke along with the other ROOT members. A shiver ran up her spine as she thought of the disbanned ANBU group, unsettling her.

"Stupid old man.."Tsunade cursed, her attention suddenly on the group before her. Neji and Etsou joined them from behind, the squad forming a strait line, their backs rigid as they waited for their Kage to speak.

"Neji, report all mission details." The busty woman ordered, but with less hardness than she had with the elder. The Hyuga prodigy took a step forward from the line as he was adressed, his voice smooth and confident.

"We entered Kirigakure, each taking a role as a civilian to catch wind of any rumors regarding the rebels. Haruno observed a trio for two weeks before concluding her tea-shop to be a meeting ground."Her Captain reported, her heart jumping at the mention of her part, chest swelling with pride within herself. "Akio confirmed said information as he followed the trio and located the base just outside the village to an abandoned harbor. We infiltrated the base that night and captured Osamu with ease, reporting to the Mizukage with the rebel leader."

"I see."Tsunade said slowly."And this mysterious contact? After the mission?"

Neji shifted uneasily, taking a glance at the pink haired girl who stared ahead, her back tensed. "Uchiha, Itachi."

"..I see." Her amber eyes scanned the team and landed on her apprentice, her expression softening. Images flashed through the girl's head of her boy's defeat, she could still feel the warmth of their blood, their shocked eyes. She squeezed her eyes shut, she needed to stop.

"Very well..you are dismissed. Enjoy your last week off."She announced, the squad dispersing, save for the pink-haired girl who ran up to her mentor and emraced her tightly. The woman she thought of as a mother returned the gesture with just as much strength, giving a reassuring squeeze and pulling back.

"I am so proud of you Sakura."The woman said warmly, a soft smile gracing her already beautiful face. "Now go and relax, you deserve it."

"Thank you Shishou."The rosette sighed, waving good-bye and making her way out of the tower and into the bustling crowd. She would do anything but relax, she was on edge after seeing the elder, her blood boiling in her veins, she wanted to shout away the hatred that burned in her chest. The girl quickly ran towards the training ground she had spent so many years on, the ground feeling like a second home as she stepped in its facinity.

The girl let out her anger by ripping trees from the ground, their roots dangling in the air as she picked them like daisies, tossing them aside with ease. The ground shattered under her might, her hands and lower forearm burning as she pulsed immense chakra through her channels, not once stopping to wince or cry out in pain. An hour later her tyrant had come to an end as she depleted herself of chakra, her body falling to the ground uncereamoniously leaving her to stare into the blue sky. The grounds around her were torn and shattered by littered craters and holes, making her feel a twinge of guilt tug at her heart. At least she had kept the three wooden poles in tact, she noted.

As she stared into the dying sky through her mask, memories of the previous night flooded in her cleared head, sorrow filling her heart. For years she had blamed the elder Uchiha, but she was so ignorant and naive, misplacing her hatred she directed towards the man. He had done what was necessary, however that didn't mean he didn't feel pain, he was still human after all, just like her, just like his brother. The girl closed her eyes, her heart weighed with a heaviness she hadn't felt since Sasuke left, tears threatening to spill.

"Always deep in thought..."Commented a familar voice. The girl tried to sit up, but exhaustion prohibited such action and she was stuck to stare up at her auburn haired teammate.

"Aren't you supposed to be relaxing?"She questioned, her chest rapidly rising and falling from her earlier rampage. She saw him look at the torn grounds and fallen trees around them and back at her with a grin held with amusement.

"I should be asking the same thing."He said laughing, sitting down beside the exhausted girl. Sakura sighed, wanting nothing more than alone time, however she appreciated his concern. "What were you thinking about?" She frowned.

"Nothing important."She responded, her breathing finally returning to normal. The konoichi could feel his questioning look that once again scanned over the obliterated grounds.

"Sakura.."He spoke softly. " 'Nothing important' doesn't cause this..something must be bothering you.." The girl cursed silently, trying to quickly think of something to hide her secret, an idea popping in her head.

"I couldn't protect you guys from him."She sighed, her lie well hidden as Sora's expression turned into sorrow.

"The Uchiha?"He asked, a smile playing at his lips. "You're one of the strongest shinobi I know, he just caught us off guard is all." The girl sat up, leaning her head on his shoulder sighing, an invisible smile guarded by her mask as he fell into her act.

"You're right, just needed to let off steam I suppose."the pinkett said, dropping the subject all together. The sun had begun to extiguish, painting the sky in blood red and burnt orange which faded into a violent violet, the moon taking over for its shift. With his help she stood up and they began walking towards the village, passing friendly banter back and forth, smiles hidden behind their obnoxious masks.

"If you don't mind Sora, I would like to take a walk to myself, clear my head from earlier."She said, wincing as if she offended him. However he put his hands up and she could feel the smile that radiated from behind his dog mask.

"Of course, going to head out to dinner with Akio at the bar right down the street, you should join us later."He said walking in the opposite direction, lifting his mask and tossing a smile over his shoulder. She gave a wave, holding back a giggle as she walked towards the compound, its streets dead and abandoned almost as if people were afraid of even going near the gates. As swiftly as she could, she slipped through the heavy doors, walking through the streets littered with overgrown decaying plants. The Compound would be gorgeous if had been taken care off, but as her hand glided against one of the aged buildings, she knew the damage was irreversible.

"That house was ours."Came a voice behind her. She was used to his silent and passive self that she didn't even flinch, instead she turned to face the elder Uchiha, her heart skipping a beat as he walked towards her. His attention was on the house her hand was currently upon, a sadden look etched in his statuesque face. Her eyes scanned the building and she stepped on the lengthy porch, the wood creaking in protest despite her petite form, she could feel her heart gain a substantial weight that was unable to lift.

"I remember holding Sasuke when he was an infant, vowing to the Gods that I would always protect him."He spoke softly, eyeing the pinkett, her expressions hidden behind her mask as she looked to him and responded.

"And you did."She had sounded so sure and confident that he believed her. He did what he had to do and in the end, his brother lived, although with a burning amount of hatred. The girl had lifted her mask which now hung on the side of her head and stared at the Uchiha with a look of reassurance, her emerald eyes brilliant as the moon illuminated her pink tresses uniquely. A pregnant pause passed before she spoke again.

"I will do everything I can to help you Uchiha, and your brother."She said looking at the full moon that filled the night sky. He took in a moment to soak her in as she leaned against the old railing, her emerald eyes were completely captivating. How could one be so delicate looking yet posses a strength that could rival Tsunade-sama, even his, not to mention her incredibly medical ability. She was indeed an interesting girl to say the least, beautifully sculpted with an alluring nature that could melt glaciers.

"What made you come to this decision?"He asked, eyes still locked on her form which turned to him.

"I know an innocent man when I see one Uchiha."She answered, lifting herself off the railing and taking small steps towards him. "When I saw Danzo today, I knew in my heart that he needed to pay for his crimes, the anger I felt was absolutely unbearable." The girl now stood in front of him, no longer afraid as she had been a week ago.

"Tell me what to do Uchiha, I trust you."The girl spoke softly, looking directly into his eyes as if to confirm there were no lies in her words. He stepped aside so she could join him on the street, but as she took a step forward, her foot crashed into the decaying wood, her body falling towards the ground quickly. Swiftly he stepped in front of the falling girl, her body crashed into his, strong arms wrapped around his neck, jade eyes wide with surprise. Their faces was a mere inch apart, her lips parted as she stammered an apology. "I'm-I'm sorry Uchi-ha."

"Just Itachi."He said simply, letting the girl find her balance, snaking her arms away from him, the warmth gone. They walked through the streets, the girl giving a soft smile at the loss of the formality. She knew she should cower under his presence, but instead she felt at ease a sense of peace filling her mind, her steps falling in unision with his. The girl was too lost in thought that she didn't realize her arm brushing against his, her face reddened and she focused on the street ahead. He, however, had caught the girls blush, a small hidden smile playing at his lips. It had been a while since he had a decent companion to talk to, to make him feel normal, to make him feel human and less of the criminal that everyone had thought of him as.

"It seems as if I'm not the only one who's always thinking."The girl said with a laugh, his smile widdening by a fraction, taking the girl slightly by surprise. He quickly realized his mistake and covered it with a masked and guarded expression.

"We have a lot to plan."He lied, thankful that the girl didn't give his response a second thought, the seriousness returning.

"Right."She said with pursed lips "Where do we begin?"

"In a week you and your team will go on a mission to Takigakure. The land in between the village and Sound is where my brother will be that time, give him this.."He paused, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a necklace. "And he'll fall into place."

She took the necklace, her hand brushing his but she paid no mind as her attention was focused on the gold chain. The links were small and intricant, a beautiful ruby flower dangled from the link, peridot set in the middle to top it off. It was indeed breathtaking, but she suddenly turned to him.

"He'll then know that I've been in contact with you and he will stop at nothing to pry what information I have."She said surely, his brows knitted at the complication, but suddenly an idea popped in her head.

"Let's talk about this tomorrow. Will you be here?"The kunoichi asked, her breath catching in her throat. He looked down upon the girl, her emerald eyes enticing and for a second he lost himself in them. How amazing they were, innocent and full of knowledge at the same time. "Itachi?"

"Yes."He answered simply, mentally cursing himself at his small slip, his attention fully on the girl who showed a look of concern. "I shall see you tomorrow to talk more of our matters."

With a stiff nod she pulled her hawk mask back upon her face, hiding a giddy smile she let loose, however her jade eyes held the spark of happiness she felt. Quickly she guarded herself, unsure what to make of what she just felt, her back turning towards the elder Uchiha whose eyes were transfixed on her back. He noted her mask, a smirk playing at his lips, he would have assumed that they would have assigned her a cat or fox due to her stealth and grace, yet he knew that it was her keen sense of observation that made her deadly. Yes, a hawk was very fitting.

"Be careful."He said, quickly realizing his mistake. The girl froze then threw a wave over her shoulder before dissapearing into the shadows, an emotion she couldn't yet place filled her chest as she raced towards the busy streets in the village.

The Uchiha was left in the abandoned streets of his home, lost in thought at the kunoichi's words, her emerald eyes threw him into a trance that he could not escape. A sense of unease overwhelmed his usual stoic self, perhaps he was exhausted under such endevers, it seemed as if he hadn't slept in days. The thought of sleep got the best of him as he escaped the village and headed towards the small makeshift base located just outside the city. Thoughts of the kunoichi fresh in his mind.

* * *

A quad of shinobi garbed in a variety of clothes passed through the canopy of trees, their pace slow and lax, showing no sign of urgency. The lone woman of the group with striking red hair clung to the side of an annoyed, onyx eyed man, his hand itching towards his katana. He was growing tired of the constant badgering of the female, anger boiling in his veins as she talked endessly.

"Karin, shut it. Focus on the mission for once."He spoke low, voice full of annoyance and anger. Suddenly he felt a pang in his heart as he remembered a certain kunoichi, to whom he constantly threw strands of hurtful words towards. However, he felt no remorse as he talked down to the red-head, her head bowing in shame, face full of hurt.

'_Annoying woman..' _He cursed. One of the other two member snikkered at the small exchange between the two, earning an intense glare from both the red-head and onyx eyed man. Immediately he snapped his mouth shut, offering instead a small pout and look of dissapointment. This would be a long trip.

"We reach Takigakure in exactly one week."Karin stated, taking the male's advice as she stuck to mission details. She had silently hoped to impress the man, but as she stared his face remained undreadable. On the inside, however, the young man felt a sense of uneasiness course through him and he tried to focus strictly on their mission, but to no avail. A pit-feeling sunk itself into his stomach, embedding the discontent he felt. This would be a long trip indeed.

* * *

**Author's note: Heyo, it only took an entire day to write. Writer's block is no fun feat to deal with, heh heh. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed the little scene between Itachi and Sakura. I want them to slowly, agonizingly so, realize what the odd sensation is they both felt. Also, the younger Uchiha will come into play (I added the last part as a sneak peak going into the next chapter.)**

**Anyway, I look forward to reviews, your love is incredibly inspiring!**

**Stay classy guys.**


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